The present invention relates to a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system; and, more particularly, to a semiconductor FA system and method. For controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV)
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV) in a conventional semiconductor FA system. As shown, the conventional semiconductor FA system includes a process equipment (EQ) 100, an server (EQS) 102, a cell management server (CMS) 104, an intrabay control server (ICS) 106, an AGV controller (AGVC) 108, an AGV 110, a stocker control server (SCS) 112 and a stocker 114. Further, the semiconductor FA system is employed in an operating mode. The operating mode includes a full automation mode, a semi-automation mode and a manual mode. Typically, the conventional semiconductor FA system is based on the full automation mode.
At step S118, when the EQ 100, i.e., a furnace equipment for carrying out a semiconductor manufacturing process, i.e., a diffusion process, has completed the diffusion process, the EQ 100 issues a process completion signal to the EQS 102.
At step S120, the EQS 102 sends a request message to the CMS 104 in response to the process completion signal, wherein the request message is defined as a message having a request for transporting a lot of semiconductor wafers from the EQ 100 to the stocker 114. A glossary of the lot is defined as a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers processed in a unit process, i.e. the diffusion process.
At step S122, the EQ 100 informs the EQS 102 that a semiconductor wafer cassette can be unloaded from the EQ 100, wherein the semiconductor wafer cassette is a container for containing the lot of semiconductor wafers transported from the EQ 100 to the stocker 114 by the AGV 110.
At step S124, the scheduler 116 receives the request message from the CMS 104 so that the scheduler 116 can schedule a following semiconductor process of the lot of semiconductor wafers in response to the request message.
At step S126, the EQS 102 sends an unloading queue to the CMS 104 in response to the process completion signal. The unloading queue includes a semiconductor wafer cassette identifier, an EQ identifier representing origination information of the semiconductor wafer cassette and a stocker identifier representing destination information of the semiconductor wafer cassette.
At step S128, the CMS 104 sends the unloading queue to the ICS 106.
At step S130, the EQS 102 sends a command to the EQ 100 so that the EQ 100 can put the lot of semiconductor wafers in the semiconductor wafer cassette in response to the command from the EQS 102.
At step S132, the ICS 106 sends the unloading queue to the AGVC 108.
At step S134, the AGVC 108 converts the unloading queue so that the unloading queue can be recognized in the AGVC 108, thereby creating an AGV control command to be sent to the AGV 110.
At step S135, the AGVC 108 sends the AGV control command to the AGV 110 by radio. At this time, the AGV 110 moves to the EQ 100 corresponding to the EQ identifier in order to unload the semiconductor wafer cassette from the EQ 100.
At step S136, if the AGV 110 has moved to the EQ 100 corresponding to the EQ identifier, the AGVC 108 sends movement completion message to the ICS 106.
At step S138, the ICS 106 sends the movement completion message to the CMS 104.
At step S140, the ICS 106 sends the movement completion message to the EQS 102.
At step S142, the EQS 102 sends an acknowledgment message to the ICS 106 in response to the movement completion message received from the ICS 106.
At step S144, the ICS 106 sends the acknowledgment message to the AGVC 108.
At step S146, the AGV 110 unloads the semiconductor wafer cassette from the EQ 100 corresponding to the EQ identifier.
At step S148, the AGV 110 loads the semiconductor wafer cassette to the stocker 114 corresponding to the stocker identifier.
At step S150, if the AGV 110 has loaded the semiconductor wafer cassette to the stocker 114 corresponding to the stocker identifier, the stocker 114 issues a loading completion signal to the SCS 112.
At step S152, the SCS 112 sends the loading completion message to the CMS 104 in response to the loading completion signal.
At step S154, the CMS 104 updates location information related to the semiconductor wafer cassette.
At step S156, the CMS 104 sends the loading completion message to the EQS 102.
At step S158, the EQS 102 flushes an EQ control file in response to the loading completion message.
After completing the semiconductor manufacturing process, i.e., the diffusion process carried out by a corresponding EQ 100, the conventional semiconductor FA system needs too much time in order to transport the semiconductor wafer cassette from the corresponding EQ 100 to a corresponding stocker 114. In order to reduce a time taken to transport the semiconductor wafer cassette from the corresponding EQ 100 to the corresponding stocker 114, the conventional semiconductor FA system strongly needs an operator""s intervention.
Where the operating mode is changed from the full automation mode to the semi-automation mode or the manual mode at a point xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d shown in FIG. 1 by an operator, the operator can directly unload the semiconductor wafer cassette from the corresponding EQ 100. Then, the operator can directly load the semiconductor wafer cassette to the corresponding stocker 114. At this time, the AGVC 108 normally creates the AGV control command issued to the AGV 110 so as to unload the semiconductor wafer cassette from the corresponding EQ 100, thus moving the AGV 110 to the corresponding EQ 100. It is preferred that the AGV 110 is inactivated at the semi-automation or manual mode. However, there is a problem that the conventional semiconductor FA system can not inactivate the AGV at the semi-automation or manual mode.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor FA system and method for effectively controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV) by checking operating mode information stored in a real-time database in order to inactivate the AGV, when an operating mode is changed from a full automation mode to another mode by a system operator.
It is, therefore, another object of the present invention to provide a computer-readable media storing program instructions, the program instructions disposed on a computer to perform a method for effectively controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV) by checking operating mode information stored in a real-time database in order to inactivate the AGV in a semiconductor FA system, when an operating mode is changed from a full automation mode to another mode by a system operator.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system, comprising: a common communication line; a plurality of semiconductor processing means coupled to said common communication each for carrying out a predetermined semiconductor process at an operating mode having a full automation mode and sending a process completion signal after the predetermined semiconductor process has been completed, wherein the predetermined semiconductor process is applied to a lot of semiconductor wafers; an operator interface means coupled to said common communication line for receiving operating mode information of each semiconductor processing means and the operating mode information changed by an operator; a storing means coupled to said common communication line for storing the operating mode information changed from said operator interface means; a creation means coupled to said common communication line for creating a queue in response to the process completion signal; a control means coupled to said common communication line and responsive to the queue for checking the operating mode information of each semiconductor processing means stored in said storing means; and a transportation means for unloading the lot of semiconductor wafers from each semiconductor processing means in response to the queue received from said control means, wherein said control means inactivates said transportation means by interrupting a transmission of the queue to said transportation means if the operating mode information of each semiconductor processing means stored in said storing means is not the full automation mode.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV) in a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system, comprising the steps of: a) receiving operating mode information of a process equipment changed by an operator; b) storing the operating mode information of the process equipment changed in a real-time database; c) carrying out a predetermined semiconductor process at an operating mode having a full automation mode and sending a process completion signal after the predetermined semiconductor process has been completed, wherein the predetermined semiconductor process is applied to a lot of semiconductor wafers; d) creating a queue in response to the process completion signal; e) checking the operating mode information of the process equipment stored in the real-time database in response to the queue; f) inactivating the AGV by interrupting a transmission of the queue to the AGV if the operating mode information of the process equipment stored in the real-time database is not the full automation mode; and g) activating the AGV to unload the lot of semiconductor wafers from the process equipment in response to the queue if the operating mode information of the process equipment stored in the real-time database is the full automation mode.
In accordance with further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable media storing program instructions, the program instructions disposed on a computer to perform a method for controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV) in a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system, comprising the steps of: a) receiving operating mode information of a process equipment changed by an operator; b) storing the operating mode information of the process equipment changed in a real-time database; c) carrying out a predetermined semiconductor process at an operating mode having a full automation mode and sending a process completion signal after the predetermined semiconductor process has been completed, wherein the predetermined semiconductor process is applied to a lot of semiconductor wafers; d) creating a queue in response to the process completion signal; e) checking the operating mode information of the process equipment stored in the real-time database in response to the queue; f) inactivating the AGV by interrupting a transmission of the queue to the AGV if the operating mode information of the process equipment stored in the real-time database is not the full automation mode; and g) activating the AGV to unload the lot of semiconductor wafers from the process equipment in response to the queue if the operating mode information of the process equipment stored in the real-time database is the full automation mode.